Favorite Childhood Toys Part 1 – Rebel on a Pink Scooter

Do you remember what your favorite childhood toy was? For Christmas 2009, I made an altered art book for my mom and dad, and inside one of the pockets is a list of our family members’ favorite childhood toys.

I contacted each family member and asked them to share their memories. I was able to print out the lists on a small scale so they’d fit into the book. You can check out that blogpost here.

Here are some of the family members in 2012 at my mom and dad’s 60th wedding anniversary party.

After I gave the altered art book to my folks, I never read the list again, until now. What a treasure trove! Reading through these favorite childhood toys is lifting my spirits this holiday season. I don’t know why, but all the hustle and bustle makes me feel neurotic–I mean excited.

This series will feature the various favorite childhood toys from three generations and hopefully some favorites from the fourth generation. They’re children nowadays.

For starters, today’s post features one family member’s favorite toys: April, my oldest daughter. Her answer was long enough and entertaining enough to be a blog post in and of itself, so here we go:

April – Age Four – Long before she became a rebel on a pink scooter!

April – Born in 1981 – In her own words:

I couldn’t for the life of me remember what my fave toy was, so I used the handy-dandy internet to help jog my memory. Lo and behold, the good ole days came flooding back, and I couldn’t choose just one!

My red-headed Cabbage Patch doll I took everywhere. I don’t remember her name, but she did tattoo her boyfriend’s name, “Xavier Roberts,” to her booty. I think this was a cry for help.

2. My Strawberry Shortcake music box. I loved to wind her up and watch her dance in her box. Although, her dance moves looked more like convulsions, but I guess I’d dance that way, too, if I was stuck in a box all day.

My scooter glided me around my neighborhood, leaving the cares of the world behind. Yep, those were the days. I was a rebel. A rebel with a pink scooter!

April is married with two children. She came up with a new holiday drink called The George Bailey, so I recorded her explaining how to make it (Note: It’s a grownup drink):

If you’re not familiar with George Bailey, he’s the main character in the classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. It’s one of my favorite movies. Here’s a trailer:

“George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all — and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide?”

So, what was your favorite childhood toy/toys? What made it your favorite? Have you seen It’s a Wonderful Life?